BEYOND THE MASK

The works of Corry Siw Mirski

By Tina Sauerländer

Her fleshy red brims over with vitality. It is the color of the blood flowing through our veins. The constrictions, stitches and scars in Corry Siw Mirski's work drastically reveal the fragility of the human body. In their alleged brutality, they symbolize the primal fear of the decline of physical well-being and our own existence. The materials used by the artist as well as their stylistic language are soft, organic and natural. They contrast cultural constructions with right angles, corners and edges. Corry Siw Mirski uses straw, seeds, cherry pits or cicada skins, which she incorporates into silicone along with red pigments. A translucent, shiny and skin-like surface results. The natural and perishable materials evoke fertility and vitality as well as decay and death.

Corry Siw Mirski’s works seem macabre, violent or threatening at first glance because they symbolize repressed fears. Thereby the artist calls for a change in the perception and evaluation of these supposedly negative emotions in order to integrate them as a normal part of our existence and life. She thinks in the spirit of the ancient philosopher Epictetus, “It is not things that disturb us, but our interpretation of their significance.”